My husband and I met the first weekend of November in 1996. He had just moved to Chicago. My best friend from grade school was visiting from Florida. Her mother, who lived across the street from Dave’s folks in Florida, was also visiting. So they had the bright idea to introduce Dave and I.
It wasn’t love at first sight but maybe at second sight? By the next day I had lured him to my apartment for chili, beer and The Bears and the rest, as they say, is history. Just a few short weeks later I invited him to join me for a 4-hour drive west of Chicago to visit my family for Thanksgiving. As Christmas neared he was surprised that I, single gal living solo, bought a fresh Christmas tree each year. He joined me for the great tree hunt (um, okay, we walked two blocks on North Halsted street and got a tree in a lot, proceeds benefiting the Howard Brown Health Center.) It was a pretty magical night. It was snowing as we dragged the tree a few city blocks.
We ordered in sushi while we decorated the tree. By the time the tree was decorated and the sushi arrived It’s a Wonderful Life came on TV. A tradition was born: decorate the tree, order sushi and watch one of my favorite movies.
We have followed this same tradition each year. While some things have changed (we are now Buddhists; I am vegan; we now use an artificial tree) we still love to decorate the tree and then enjoy sushi while watching It’s a Wonderful Life. Since becoming vegan, we have spent a lot more time in the kitchen getting creative (even Dave, an omnivore, joins in on the vegan fun!)
So why not make our own sushi?
I was inspired by the wonderful Daelyn of This Dish is Veg who posted a sushi recipe in September. I rushed out to buy Nori seaweed sheets but didn’t get around to using them. Now was the perfect time! With Nori sheets on hand, we picked up some wasabi and sushi rice from the grocery store and then went to our local Japanese grocer for the following:
- Enoki mushrooms
- Inari (bean curd)
- Avocado
- Cucumber
- (and fish for Dave, blech!)
I made the sushi rice in the rice cooker, following a recipe from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook (recommended by Emily at The Front Burner) and it came out perfect! Well, actually, I set up the rice in the rice cooker (which did come out perfect) and Dave made the vinegar mixture to finish off the rice.
Also Perfect!
Dave toasted the Nori sheets
and began masterfully rolling the sushi.
Look at him go!
Aw, lovely holiday sushi!
My big plate of vegan sushi!
Delicious, homemade sushi and a bowl of homemade Cleansing Miso Soup
and an updated holiday tradition is born!
Happy Holidays!
